Firefighters battle grass fire near Alachua

Firefighters are bringing a grass fire near Alachua under control, but it has burned 18 acres, said Ludie Bond of the Florida Division of Forestry.

By Cindy SwirkoStaff writer

Firefighters are bringing a grass fire near Alachua under control, but it has burned 18 acres, said Ludie Bond of the Florida Division of Forestry."We have a line around it and there are multiple firefighter resources," Bond said.The fire is being blamed on dried grass -- despite the recent rains -- and windy conditions."Even though we got an inch or so of rain earlier in the week, it has been gusty winds, low humidity and sunny conditions since then. Fine fuels, like grasses, dry out the quickest so grass fires ignite very easily," Bond said.